


Coming Home.

by malfoible



Series: Valentine Tales. [4]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-16
Updated: 2016-02-16
Packaged: 2018-05-21 01:28:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6033076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/malfoible/pseuds/malfoible





	Coming Home.

She had been looking for him for six months.  
She had begun where she had found him last time and circled out from there.  
To date there had been no sign of him.  
Banner must have become far more adept at hiding.  
Well he had had plenty of practise.  
Each time she felt she was getting near, had heard some rumor of a doctor at work she had headed that way, only to find him gone.  
Six months was a long time to search for someone even someone as important to her as he was.  
She sighed with frustration as yet another lead turned out to be false.  
Maybe she should head home.  
See if there was any news.  
See if Cap or Stark knew something, anything.   
She couldn’t believe that he hadn’t been in touch with any of them.  
Maybe they were keeping her out of the loop for some reason.  
After another fruitless week she headed home.

 

Bruce knew she was searching for him.   
He could even sometimes feel her, as if her presence caused something in him to tremble, to react.  
Occasionally when he was feeling low he wondered if he should just wait…let her catch up with him.   
The thought of her was always with him. Her scent, the touch of her hand.   
His soul was weary, he needed contact, with her, or the others who had become his friends.  
He turned his tired body towards home.

 

It was bitterly cold as he stepped from the plane, that cold that you only get in New York.  
When the winds blow from the east and you can imagine the rivers freezing over.  
The sidewalks icy sheets of glass, ready to catch the walkers unawares.   
He had no idea where he was going, Stark would take him in of course, and Steve was a loyal friend but really he only wanted to see her.  
Was she still searching for him? Had she given up, returned to her life.

Her apartment was in darkness, no answer to the ringing of the bell.  
He found that the only bar to breaking and entering was a touch of morality.  
Figuring he’d passed these boundaries a long time ago, He climbed up the side of the building and used his knife to prise open the sliding doors from the balcony.

He entered the empty apartment.  
There was no sense of her here.   
Very few personal items.  
He didn’t enter the bedroom.  
It felt wrong even sitting on the couch, but now he was here, he knew she would turn up.  
He was prepared to wait.

He slept on the couch that first night, one ear open for any sounds which would alert him to her arrival.

Next morning, craving coffee and carbs, he went shopping in a nearby store.  
He filled her cupboards with food, made himself comfortable.   
He wondered what it would be like to share her life, be an ordinary couple, have a family, bake cookies, take the kids to little league.

He grinned to himself ,nothing about the two of them would ever be ordinary.  
He had never been ordinary, even before childhood was washed away by the struggle to adulthood, then to whatever hell he was living now…

Even the big guy seemed calm here.   
Had felt relaxed as soon as they entered her place as if she was the comfort he held onto.

 

Natasha wearily entered her apartment, she had finally returned home.   
She was frustrated by her lack of success in finding Banner, but she knew how easy it was to disappear if you really want to.  
She hoped that in some corner of his mind he knew how much she cared for him, how much she wanted him to come back.

She didn’t turn on any lights and it wasn’t until she was standing by the counter drinking a glass of water, that she noticed the figure sleeping on the couch.   
He didn’t stir as she gazed at him in disbelief.  
She had been chasing him half way round the globe and he was lying here…on her couch…in her home.

He looked peaceful, the most relaxed she had ever seen him.  
Her heart melted, the stress and worry of the last few months giving way to pleasure.  
He was here, not hurt, not dead. Here.  
Tomorrow she would shout and be angry but for now she only wanted to feel close to him.

She slipped off her top things and slid onto the couch pulled his arm round herself and pulled up the blanket to cover them both.

He stirred, feeling her body close to him, her hair tickling his nostrils.  
He sighed, was he dreaming?  
She turned towards him and ran her tongue over his lips, he opened his mouth but not his eyes and she kissed him deeply.

“You found me.” He murmured still half asleep and she realised he thought he was dreaming.

“Easy enough when you’re sleeping on my couch.”  
Smiling to herself she turned again and soon she could feel the soft puff of his breath on her neck.  
She drifted off to sleep.

He was gone when she woke.  
She sat up frowning, damn the man, did she needed handcuffs to keep him with her.

The door was pushed open and he entered carrying coffee and a small box from the bakers downstairs.

His heart sang when he saw her, hair tousled, eyes flashing with a mixture of anger and pleasure.  
The most beautiful sight he had ever seen.

She flung a pillow at him. “I thought you had run off again.”

“Well I will if you’re going to be this grumpy in the mornings.” He grinned. 

“Have some coffee, this is for you.” He passed over the small, red, heart shaped cake.

” It’s not from me. It’s from the big guy.”

“Well at least he loves me.” she smiled and pulled him down for a kiss.


End file.
